Battery plate and method of making same



May 15, 1928.

. J. PLEWS BATTERY PLATE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Fi led June 27, 1921 2 Sheets$heet v Snow/Mk0: z'fi'arzayfezus 233 1 146mm May T5, [928.

W. J. PLEWS v BATTERY PLATE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed June 27. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. PLEWS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE-AS- SIGNMENTS, TO PLEWS & HUTCHINSON CORPORATION, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JER- SEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BATTERY PLATE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed June 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,728.

customary to apply to a support '01- grid a paste comprising, generally, certain lead oxides and sulphuric acid, after which the plate so obtained is subjected to a drying operation whereby the active material becomes hardened or set. The time required pasted battery plate of highly porous and homogeneous structure whereby the further operations to be performed may be facilitated and which plate shall possess highly enhanced properties in the way of capacity and durabilit A further object is the application to fully charged battery plates, or those of chemical constitution similar, ,toy that of charged plates, of an improved dehydrating method whereby the plates may be shipped or stored in a dry condition and assembled in cells capable of delivering a large percentage of the original or normal charge before application of charging current thereto.

for this operation varies with the tempera- Other objects and advantages will appear ture applied, but in the processes hitherto generally employed comprises not less than a day. Aside from the loss of timeinvolved, the exposure of the pasted plates to the drying operation results in the formation of numerous cracks in the body of the material due to shrinkage, especially adjacent to the bars of the support or grid when a support of the grid type is employed. These cracks are generally visible to the naked eye and may bereadily discovered in surprisingly large numbers under a slight magnification.

.Furthermore, the plates subjected to the usual dryingoperation by exposure to air exhibit considerable non-uniformity in physical and chemical characteristics within their mass, inasmuch as the shrinkage incident to the drying operation causes 'a loss in porosity varying in different portions of the mass and the slow' progress'of the rea action and gradualevaporation ofelectrolyte from the exposed surface resultin unequaldistribution of sulphate or other products of reaction. Diflerences are therefore produced in electrical resistance and varia- 1 tions in the ease of access of the electrolyte to the active material and its resulting action thereon.

The principal object the time'required for the .drying or setting of pasted battery plates 'maybe very of my invention,- therefore, is to provide a method wherebyfrom the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which a 1 Fig. 1 is an elevation of a battery plate embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2.2 of

Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged elevation of a portion of a plate showing :the defects produced by air drying in a mixture otherwise identical with that shown in Fig. "1;

Fig. 4 is a view upon the same scale as- Fig. 3 showing a portion of the plate of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 5 is. a view in horizontal section of a form of apparatus adapted for use in carry-- ing out the process of my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a' side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus of Fig. 5.

In carrying out-my improved process for 'the manufacture of plates, a suitable quantity of material, comprising preferably for the negative plate litharge and for the positive plate litharge and red lead, is mixed with sufficient electrolyte to form a paste capable of being applied to'the: support or grid and retained..-t-herein. After the paste has been applied to the grids the latter are placed in a chamber or receptacle adapted to be closed tightly and to withstand internal pressure. a

When the grids containing the soft paste have been placed within the chamber and I the latter has been closed, a suitable fluid A further object isthe production of a medium under pressure is admitted and the temperature is raised. As a convenient means of applying the desired. temperature and pressure, I employ preferably a heated fluid pressure medium, for example, steam. Other heated gases may be used, where preferable,fas, for example, exhaust from an internal combustion engine. It may even be desirable, in some cases, to use a gas of special properties, as a gas inert with refer ence to some paste ingredient.

The temperature may vary with the time during which the treatment is continued, the time required descrea'sing with increase in temperature. The pressure should be suflicient to prevent evaporation of the electrolyte such as might result in shrinkage of the paste or the vaporization of the water in the paste at the temperature utilized. In other Words, the pressure employed, when the substance whose vaporization is to be prevented is water, is in excess of the vapor pressure or tension of the water at the temperature of the material in the plates. In practice, in utilizing an electrolyte consisting of dilute sulphuric acid, I have obtained satisfactory results with the use of steam at a pressure of 120 to 150 pounds, some super-heat being employed so that the temperature is above 500? F. At this temperature it is possible to complete the setting of the plates in approximately one minute. When the pressure is relieved and the plates are removed from the chamber, the paste is found to be hardened and partially dried. The heating may be carried tosuch a point that the water within the paste will be substantially completely.

vaporized when the pressure is relieved, but when the battery elements are to be further treated preparatory to use in a cell, the drying per se may be merely an incident, the setting or hardening being believed to be due primarily to the reaction between the oxide or oxides and the electrolyte present in the paste.

It will be noted that not only is the setting completedin a very brieftime, but the hardening compound'formed, whatever its character, is necessarily distributed very uniformly throughout the mass. Furthermore, the retention of the water or other vaporizable material in the paste by reason of the high pressure while the setting pro ceeds results in the formation of a mass of active material of highly porous structure,

tive material and serve as a guide in pasting. These ribs, shown as parallel and vertical in the normal position of the plate, may, of course, be variously arranged in horizontal, oblique, or intersecting lines Without affecting the general character of the plate. In the central plane of the plate, in such position as to be preferably wholly embedded within the activematerial, is a grille,

a type of which is shown as comprising parallel wires or rods 13 transverse to the ribs 12. The size, shape and arrangement of the elements of this embedded grille may also be widely varied, of course, without affecting its essential characteristics, the important feature being the provision of an embedded grille of ample supporting and conducting capacity and presenting on the surface exposed directly to the free electrolyte the minimum practicable area. The active material 14 mounted upon the support may be of composition appropriate for either positive or negative plates and its appearance so far as shown on the drawings is the same whether the plate be freshly pasted and dried or be charged or formed vof materials similar to those in a charged plate and subsequently dehydrated.

,The features of the embedded support as.

described above have been known in the art for many years and their advantages have been well recognized, but it has been found impracticable to utilize supports of this type without-special provision for the retention of the active material either by grid bars on the surface or by external plates orthe like. The necessity for such retaining means may be recognized by reference to Fig. 3, which is a facsimile of a photograph ofa plate prepared with a paste supposed to be especially adaptable to the air-drying process, and identical with the paste employed in the plate of which Fig. 4 represents a section treated by my dehydrating process.

The transverse cracks as at 15, and the shrinking of the material away from the ribs, as at 16, obviously render the plate liable to rapid disintegration besides greatly increasing the internal resistanceand decreasing the capacity and the uniformity of chemical action. These defects are, of coursei -much more pronounced with this form 0 grid than they would be were the. grid subdivided by surface bars into numerous re1atively restricted pellet areas, since, with the grid shown, a single pelletrextends from top to bottom of the plate. In the plate treate by myprocess, however, as illustrated. in

Figs. 1 and 4, since no shrinkage occurs, the surface area ofa pellet may be increased at will, the material remaining entirely "uniform in physical texture and in actual contact with the Whole surface of the support from exposure to the electrolyte and adding to the life of the plate.

The high and uniform porosity and uniform distribution of active materials also contribute to rapid penetration and diffusion of electrolyte with the attendant advantages of increased capacity, particularly at high. rates of discharge, as well as permitting the chan es of mass incident to use without the she ding that usually occurs. It has also been found that the forming operation by treatment with an electric current may be carried on more rapidly and completed more quickly than with plates prepared by the usual procej.'se;%t.

The process of dehydrating the plates by subjection to heat under elevated pressure is applicable at any stage in the manufacture of the plates where it may be desirable to remove moisture without the chemical or physical changes which might accompany drying at low or atmospheric pressure i. It has been found possible, for example, to dry completely charged plates so quickly that change in the chemical constitution of the active material, as oxidation by reason of exposure to air, does not occur to any material extent. So-called charged plates may accordingly be dried and shipped or stored for an indefinite period with very little change in the active material. Similarly, plates prepared from materials so treated as to simulate the chemical characteristics of a charged 1plate, and therefore capable of use in a cel without previous subjection to the action of an electric current, may be dehydrated w'ith very slight change in the active material.

I have contemplated the application of my invention, therefore, to the treatinent of charged battery plates, or those'in whichthe active materials are of chemical constitution analogous to that of the materials in a charged plate, with the object of facilitating storage or shipment and subzequent a'ssembly of dried plates for immediate service. A cell may be formed by mere assembly of the plates and suitable separators in a container and addition of electrolyte,-

which is capable of delivering current almost immediately at a high percentage of the o riginal or the normal rate. Such cells are ofparticular ,advanta e for replacements in starting and lighting batteries for motor vehicles, as well as in many other applications where immediate availability of current is desirable.

Heretofore in processes having as a result or end to be attained the drying of charged battery plates, particularly the drying of charged negative plates which will oxidize rapidly if air comes into contact with them, it has been proposed to subject the plates to steam in a chamber at atemperature of from 250 to 300 degrees F., the plates being treated from two to three hours. In the improved process wherein my invention consists, however, and in addition to other particular steps hereinbefore referred to and hereinafter claimed, the time necessary. for

, the drying of the plates is reduced from the two or three hour period referred to, to a period of a very few minutes, the heat treatment in my process'being for a short time as compared to the two or three hour treatment. Necessarily the time of treatment varies under different conditions, that is differs with the temperature of the gaseous medium made use of, with the water content of the plates, with the physical, chemical and other properties of the plates, and with other characteristics thereof. The treat-' ment is always for a comparatively short period and, as hereinbefore expressed, the time of treatment may be reduced to a period well under five minutes under favorable circumstances.

My invention as claimed in this particular application has to do With the treatment of battery plates generally, irrespective of whether they are freshly pasted plates or. charged negative plates (positive plates do not have to be considered, ordinarily, as they are already oxidized and the oxidizing. at-

.mosphere of the air will have no detrimental I effect upon them), and to do specifically with the treatment of charged negative plates. v

My, invention, however, and as'clearly ap-- pears hereinbefore, contemplates also the treatment of freshly pasted plates specifically, that is plates after the paste material has been put upon them and before they have been dried, and before they have been converted, by appropriate treatment, into either positive or negative, that is charged negative plates. This other invention as appears is not claimed in this present application, but the same is claimed in an application Ser. No. 243,338, filed Dec. 29, 1927 which has been divided out from this present application.

In Figs. 5and 6 is' shown one form ofapparatus suitable for carrying out the dehydrating step of my process. This apparatus comprises a cylindrical container 20 suitably insulated as by the jacket 21 havinga pipe connection 22 for the supply of a heating medium, such, for example, as exhaust or flue gases from a heater-employed for generating the pressure medium for application to the plates. A frame comprising side bars 23, 23', connected by rods 24, 24, the rod 24: being pivotally supported in the frame 25, carries covers 26, 26 for the ends of the cylinder. One cover, as 26 may be mounted upon a shaft 27 having screwthreaded engagement with the bar 23 and rotatable by gears 28, 29. The covers may thus be forcibly applied to the ends of the cylinder to render the same gas tight, or, after being released therefrom, may be swung away from the cylinder as shown In Fig. 6, the movement being facilitated by counterweights 30. A pressure gage- 31 may be provided for the cylinder and the supply of heating and pressure medium may be controlled by valve means 32 in the supply pipe 33. A suitable support in the nature of a rack or tray 34 for the plates 35 may be used to facilitate insertion into or removal from the cylinder. i

It will be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the use of-any particular form of mechanism in carrying out the process stepsthereof and, furthermore, that the details of procedure may be considerably varied without departing from the scope of. the invention. Hence I do not wish to be limited to the specific features of the foregoing description except as required by the language of the appended claims in view of the prior art.

I claim: r

1. The process of treating electric storage battery elements which comprises the subjection of the elements to the action of a gaseous medium surrounding and indirect contact therewith, and which medium is at an elevated temperature, and is under pressure sufficiently great to prevent evaporation of water from said elements, for a period not exceeding ten minutes.

2. The process of treating electric storage battery elements which comprises the subjection of the elements to an elevated temperature while surrouncledby a gaseous medium in direct contact therewith, and at a pressure above the vapor tension of water .at that temperature, for a. comparatively short time compared with'from two to three hours, and relieving the pressure while the temperature is such as to cause the rapid vaporization of the water from the elen'i'ents.

3. The process of preparing electric storage battery elements which comprises charging the elements by passing electric current therethrough, then subjecting the elements to the action of a gaseous mediumunder pressure and in direct contact with them for --a period not exceeding ten minutes, and which medium is at a temperature such that it imparts sufficient latent heat to the water content of the elements to cause elimination of the water when the pressure is relieved, and relieving the pressure while the temperature is still high.

4. The process of treating wet electric storage battery elements which comprises heating the elements to a temperature substantially above 212 F. and at the same time preventing evaporation of liquid therefrom by a gaseous medium under pressure and in direct contact with the elements, maintaining thc pressure sufliciently high to prevent evaporation from the elements through the heating step, and then relieving the pressure while the pressure remains such as to cause rapid vaporization of liquid from the elements.

5. The process of treating wet charged negative plates of lead storage batteries to dry the same without material loss of capacity which consists in heating the plates by direct contact therewith of a gaseous medium under pressure sufliciently high to restrain vaporization therefrom, to a temperature substantially above 212 F.,' and for a period not exceeding ten minutes, and then relieving the pressure.

6. The process of drying wet charged negative plates of lead storage batteries in a short time as compared. with from two to threehours, and without material loss of capacity, which consists in simultaneously restraining evaporation from and imparting to the material in the plates through and by means of a heated gaseous medium under pressure and in direct contact therewith, and

during the short time aforesaid, sufficient latent heat to vaporize the liquid-content of said material upon relief of the pressure to atmospheric such pressure.

7. The process ofdrying wet charged negative plates of lead storage batteries without material loss of capacity which consists in simultaneously restraining evaporation from and imparting to the material of the plates suflicient latent'heat' derived from steam in direct contact with them to vaporize the water content of theplates upon relief of the pressure to atmospheric pressure, maintaining the pressure sufliciently high to prevent evaporation from the plates throughout a period not exceeding ten minutes, and then relieving such pressure.

8. The process of treating electric storage battery; elements containing water to be eliminated therefrom which consists in simultaneously restraining evaporation ofpressure, and then relieving water from them and imparting to the elements sufiicient latent heat derived from steamvin direct contact with them, and at a pressure of approximately pounds per square inch, to vaporize the water content of the elements uponrelief of the pressure to atmospheric pressure, maintaining the pressure sufficiently high -to prevent evapora' tion from the elements throughout the heating step, and then relieving such pressure.

9. The process of drying charged negative plates of lead storage batteries containing water to be eliminated therefrom withoutmaterial loss of capacity which consists in simultaneously restraining the evaporation of water from them and imparting to the plates sufficient latent heat derived from steam in direct contact therewith, and at a pressure of approximately 150 pounds per 1 from the plates throughout the heating step, 15

and then relieving such pressure.

In testimony whereof I aflix'my signature.

WILLIAM J. PLEWS 

